GILGIT: Five people were buried alive when a snow avalanche hit a jeep at Babusar top here on Wednesday evening, while one person was rescued.

According to the police, six men from Tableeghi Jamaat were travelling in a jeep to the Babusar top from Chilas to enjoy cold weather and snow. However, a snow slide hit their vehicle near the top, burying all the six.

Locals as well as well Rescue 1122 officials started a rescue operation immediately afterwards and recovered two bodies and one injured. The two dead belonged to Karachi and Kohat. The injured was a local.

Police said that the rescue operation had been called off after the nightfall.

The bodies of the two victims and the injured were shifted to the district headquarters hospital, Diamer. The names of the victims couldn’t be ascertained. Police said most of the victims were outsiders.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2018